By ROBERT GIBSON

Last updated at 13:10, Friday, 05 February 2010

AROUND 50 Prudhoe residents living near the town’s high school have signed a petition against plans to build a world-class media centre on the site.

The £2.5 million project would include a state-of-the-art building, featuring cutting-edge technology for television, radio and art studies.

But residents say it would bring with it an increase in already problematic traffic, be a blight on a pleasant landscape and cause unacceptable noise levels.

Concerns have also been raised about a lack of information being given to neighbours, after it emerged that few were aware of a consultation event being held at the school.

“They want to build a second entrance by widening a bridle path along the side of my house,” said Moor Road resident Mark Williams.

“This would be about 30 metres from the first entrance and would create a bottleneck of congestion.

“I work in education myself and think it’s great they’re developing this type of thing, but it’s going to cause a major increase in traffic.”

Mr Williams and his wife Katarina created the petition after attending an event advertised on a leaflet put through their door.

“We walked around the houses and found very few of the neighbours were aware of it,” he added.

“When we told them, the vast majority were against it, with only one or two in favour.”

Proposals for the Tynedale Creative and Media Skills Centre have been driven by a consortium of local schools and colleges who want to offer unrivalled facilities for pupils and the wider community.

The development is being financed from a £4 million grant from the Government, which agreed to fund 15 projects nationally out of over 200 applications.

Around £2.5 million will be spent in Prudhoe, with a further £1.5 million going towards a satellite residential skills centre at Ridley Hall.

Tynedale Virtual College – a collaboration of Tynedale’s four high schools, with Dilston college and Hexham Priory School – will also be investing around £600,000 on ‘mobile studios’.

“I was outraged when I heard about this,” said Moor Road resident Yvonne Venn.

“I’m worried Northumberland is going to go from a three-tier to a two-tier education system and there will be an influx of children.

“It might make sense to create more buildings, but not a media centre.”

She described the building as a “monstrosity” out of keeping with the area.

Leonard Franchetti, of Park Lane, meanwhile, was supportive of the idea, but said: “There are boarded-up schools like Eastwood that could be used for this.

“It worries me there are plans to expand Prudhoe Hospital, just over the hill, and traffic from 54 new houses will be coming over Moor Road.”

Dr Iain Shaw, headteacher of Prudhoe High School, said he had alerted local parents through the school newsletter, of which 800 copies were produced.

He said the centre would be soundproofed and as unobtrusive as possible, making best use of the land’s natural features.

It would be designed for a maximum of 80 students, and a traffic survey would be carried out during the planning process.

“If residents have concerns, I’m happy for them to form a group and come to the school to discuss things,” he said.

A planning application will likely be submitted within two weeks, when the petition will be handed to Northumberland County Council.

Work could begin this spring, with the centre opening next June.

First published at 09:40, Friday, 05 February 2010
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk